


Taken by the Past

by JumpingSeaPickle



Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: Gen, Kidnapping, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:01:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22049038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JumpingSeaPickle/pseuds/JumpingSeaPickle
Summary: Phineas and Ferb both go missing, the next day their family gets a ransom note. Called home in the middle of a scheme Perry drags Doof with him back to his house. They'res very little time and Perry and Doofensmirtz need to find the boys before it's too late, but can Perry face an old enemy without getting hurt, or worse? Will he lose the boys?
Comments: 31
Kudos: 109





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if anything seems off!

Perry tucked his hat away before pushing open the front door. It had been one of his worst days, Doofenshmirtz had built an inator that had immediately exploded when it was turned on. Perry’s trap had been close enough that the shock waves knocked him back into the brick walls of said trap. Of course it had to collapse on him too. He had a killer headache so he grabbed a blanket and laid down on the couch for a nap. 

The sound of a door slamming woke him up. Groggily Perry sat upright and looked over at his sister in law, who was being dragged around by Candace. “Mom really! I haven’t seen them all day, they’re up to something!” Lynda sighed wearily. “Candace, if you haven’t seen them how would you know? They’re probably over at one of their friends’ houses.” Candace stopped tugging on her mother’s arm to think about that. A determined look crossed her face and she bolted out the front door to no doubt find and try to bust her brothers.

Lynda let out another sigh before she noticed Perry. “Oh, there you are. Would you help me take in the groceries?” Perry nodded in confirmation. As they walked out to the car she looked up the street at Candace. “I worry about her sometimes.” Perry chuffed out a laugh,  _ She’s a teen, she’ll grow out of it.  _ His words seemed to calm her down. Her shoulders slumped down a bit and she gave him a small smile. Laurence came home as they pulled the groceries out of the back of the car. 

“Have you seen the boys? They were supposed to meet me at the store to help clean some antiques but they never came.” He asked them. Lynda frowned. “No, I figured they went to see their friends. They might have just gotten excited and forgot, Dear.” This satisfied Laurence but something seemed very off to Perry. The boys never missed spending time with their parents, especially if it was something pre-planned. He didn’t mention it though. Worrying his family if it was nothing wouldn’t do good for anyone. Still the thought never left his head as he helped put groceries away and hunted down Candace before dinner.

“They’ll probably be at home eating dinner telling Mom about their latest project and she won’t believe them.” Candace was muttering as they strolled down the empty street. Perry ruffled her hair. “I wonder what they built today? Probably something big and loud. Knowing them it was probably really cool too…” She finished with a growl. Perry never understood her need to get her brothers busted but it never worked so he rarely worried about it. He smiled and lightly punched her arm. She returned the favor with her own smile.

The boys didn’t show up for dinner. Everyone ate slowly waiting for them but after an hour they collectively agreed to wait in the den. Perry felt something was wrong in his gut but he still didn’t want to alarm his family.  _ Sleepover?  _ He signed after clapping to get his brother’s attention. “Of course! They probably just forgot to tell us. Too excited to stop!” There was something strained about Laurence and Lynda’s smiles. “Well we should all get to bed hmm?” Candace tried to object but one look from her uncle and she clamped her mouth shut. This wasn’t the time to try and get the boys into trouble.

3:14 the clock said. Perry had given up sleeping, he just couldn’t get the bad feeling to go away. Three in the morning and he was sitting at the table sipping a cold cup of tea. Phineas and Ferb were over at a friends house, they had to be, the boys wouldn’t ever run off. The cup clunked on the table. “Uncle Perry?” He turned sharply to his niece. “Are you ok? You’re usually sleeping like a log right now.” He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.  _ Couldn’t sleep, just needed some tea.  _ She sat down at the table. “Phineas and Ferb weren’t at their friends’. I checked. They probably lost track of time building some crazy contraption.” 

Perry nodded. Anything to make it seem like he wasn’t worried. If Candace started panicking he was sure he would too.  _ Tea?  _ He asked her. She nodded and he got up to make her some. They drank together in silence for a while. 4:47 Candace put her cup by the sink and said goodnight to Perry. 5:30 Laurence went to work, and a half hour later so did Lynda. The hours slowly ticked by until ten when his wristwatch alert went off. Grateful for something to do he jumped up from the table and made his way down to his lair.

He zoned out during his de-briefing but it wasn’t like Doofenshmirtz wouldn’t tell him everything when he got there. After snapping a salute he hopped into his hover car and flew to Dr. D’s penthouse. He took one step before ropes spun around him from the floor, effectively trapping him. “Ah! Perry the Platypus! How nice of you to show up, you are just in time to witness,” Doofenshmirtz directed his attention to a huge ray, “My canned-goods-Inator!” 

“You see Perry the Platypus, when I was at the store yesterday I was going to grab the last can of my favorite vegetable but some lady took it before I could! I will now take every canned good in the Tri-State area so no one else can have their-’ He stopped when he heard a sawing noise. Perry stopped cutting at the rope and blinked innocently. “Are you trying to escape?!” He shrugged before flexing his arms and breaking through the weakened knot. Dr. D ran to his inator but was quickly stopped when Perry kicked him right in his chest. He fell backwards to the floor and slid towards a box stuffed with parts. 

“Oh you’re going to get it now!” He said as he dug through the box and chucked a metal gear at Perry, who dodged the gear easily before lunging forward to grab Doof by the ankle. He then swung to the side and flung him at the couch. He was about to go in for another hit when his cell rang. The sound echoed in the room. “Did you leave your phone on? Really?” Perry just shrugged, he must have forgotten to turn it off before the mission. Holding up a finger he pulled it from its clip and checked the caller ID. It was Laurence.

He felt the blood drain from his face. “Perry?” Doofenshmirtz asked hesitantly. Perry ignored him and flipped open the phone. He clicked his tongue to signify that he was there but Laurence couldn’t have heard him over the crying coming through. “Its the boys-they’re gone-there’s a note-they they...please come home!” Perry drew in a sharp breath. He snapped the phone shut and turned to his nemesis.

_ I need to go, can I take your car?  _ “My car? But you have that hover car right there!” Perry gave him a desperate look,  _ Please.  _ “Alright but I’m driving, you don’t look like you should be driving.” Perry grabbed his arm and yanked him to the door. “Alright, alright. Norm watch the lab!” The robot turned to look at them. “Ok, dad!” “I’m not your dad, just watch the lab!” He grabbed the keys as Perry desperately pulled on him. The elevator ride was the worst Perry had ever experienced. 

It felt like his heart was pounding out of his chest, his palms were sweaty, and there was a lump in his throat. Was he about to cry or scream? Perry couldn’t tell. Doofenshmirtz drove quickly, following Perry’s directions, almost sensing how important this was. Doof had barely slowed down the car to park it when Perry jumped out of the moving vehicle and bolted through the front door. Laurence was holding Lynda who was sobbing into his shoulder. Candace was sitting in one of the chairs pulling at her hair. As soon as he stormed in Laurence motioned for Perry to read a piece of paper that was on the coffee table. Perry picked it up with shaky hands as Doof walked in. The note had simple instructions: 

“Flynn-Fletcher family,

I have your young boys. No harm will come to them if you follow my instructions to the letter. Transfer 2000$ to the account listed below. Do not call the police, I’ll know if you do. If the transfer goes through I’ll leave them both safely at a public area. If not? You won’t see them ever again. You have twenty-four hours.” 

There were two different colored locks of hair taped to the bottom of the letter and there was no doubt they came from Phineas and Ferb. White hot rage exploded from Perry. He couldn’t hear over the ringing in his ears and before he could think it through he turned to the nearest wall and slammed his fist into it. Everyone in the room jumped as he busted a hole through it. He turned to look at the sorrowful faces of his family. The anger washed out of him and he collapsed to his knees.  _ This is my fault.  _ His hands were almost too shaky to sign properly. “Oh chap no, you couldn’t have known.” Laurence's voice was fragile.  _ I should have walked them to the shop. It’s my fault.  _

“Perry the- Perry, what’s your fault? What’s going on?” Doofenshmirtz asked uncomfortably. Perry was too rattled to respond, he just pushed his head into his hands. “I’m sorry, who are you?” Laurence asked. “My name is Hienz Doofenshmirtz, I’m-” Perry clapped and when they turned to look at him, he used the sign for friend. “Yeah… I’m his friend. I drove him here.” Perry sighed in relief when the family only nodded. He blinked twice rapidly while looking at the note before setting it back on the table.  _ Call the cops. _

“But the boys!” Lynda shouted. Perry repeated himself. Of all the things he was sure of it was that the cops would need to be called. The trust that his family put in him was strong enough that Laurence picked up the phone and dialed the police. It was a tense twenty minutes until a knock came from the door. Perry launched to open it and invited the officers at the door in. 

They all answered the standard questions before the second officer started pulling everyone aside separately. When it was Perry’s turn he pulled out his OWCA badge. “I see, this is your cover family. Well, I’m afraid that you won’t be able to work with us on this case, if that’s why you’re showing that to me.” Perry shook his head and pulled up the notepad he was given. It was annoying to be in a conversation with an officer who didn’t know sign. “I need to get back to work with my partner. I trust you to take care of this.” The officer thought for a moment before waving him off. “I’ll tell your hosts you had an emergency, your partner is the one in the lab coat?” Perry nodded. “Alright, I’ll clear him to go with you. Wait here.” The officer left. Perry tapped the pencil on the pad, hoping to vent out some energy.

After a few minutes Doof entered the kitchen and they both were cleared to leave. Perry took Dr. D out the back door and walked to the back of the garage before looking around to see if anyone was watching. After finding it clear he hit a button hidden on the side of the house and an elevator rose from the ground. “Are we going to your hideout? Is that a good idea, I mean I am your nemesis. This has got to be against protocol.” Doof rambled as Perry pushed him in and the elevator started lowering. “Who were those people? You’ve never mentioned any of them and you seemed pretty close. Do I need to stay away from them, is this like a secret life to them or something? What was that note? Perry the Platypus you are acting very weird today.” Perry knew he was just trying to fill the silence but he didn’t have the patience for it with the circumstances. 

He grunted. Now that he was thinking clearer the anger came back in waves. His life was dangerous, it gave him a number of people to watch out for, his gut told him that was why the boys had been taken. Someone was trying to mess up his family and that thought made his blood boil. The doors opened slowly. Perry made for his computer, sitting down and starting the data transfer from his specialty contacts as Doofenshmirtz walked around looking at things. 

He then logged into the OWCA database and used the handwriting analysis tool. It was a few tense moments before a name came up. Perry growled deep in his throat when he read it. The match went to a rogue agent that he had arrested years before, a ruthless man who definitely feel no shame over hurting children. The name seemed to taunt him. Doofenshmirtz walked over and read the screen. “Ok seriously Perry the Platypus. What is going on?” Perry tried not to be angry at Heinz, after all he didn’t know what was happening, but it was getting hard.  _ My kids were kidnapped. This man did it and I’m going after him. _ Doof took a moment to process. “You have kids?”  _ Nephews.  _ “And this man has taken them?” Perry nodded and pulled up the picture of the note. 

As Doofenshmirtz read it his anger grew. “I’m coming with you. I want to teach this-this,” He couldn’t seem to find the words. “I’m teaching him a lesson.” Perry nodded. He started grabbing different gadgets from the racks on the walls. Doof went back to his house to grab some inators. They agreed to meet there so Perry could gather more information before they went out. After checking the database for the rogue’s location and any information on his security system Perry grabbed his jetpack and flew over to his nemesis’s house for the second time that day. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phineas and Ferb's point of view from the day they were taken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a "meanwhile" sort of thing for the day they go missing. I wanted to try something new, let me know what you think!

Ferb could feel the ropes that held him tightly, the steady bumping of the truck they were in, but not his brother. The only thing keeping him calm was the fact that he could hear Phineas, who was breathing in short bursts. Calculating that he was about a foot to the right, Ferb wiggled over to him as best he could. He felt a flood of relief when his shoulder bumped Phineas’s. “Ferb is that you?”

“It’s me. Don’t worry Phineas, everything will be ok.” Ferb couldn’t maneuver enough to grab any of his gadgets. He was just wondering if Phineas was able too when he heard his brother take in a sharp breath. Phineas started shaking. “I can’t reach my tools.” Ferb wiggled closer to him and Phineas rested his head on Ferb’s shoulder. A silent understanding passed through them. As scary as it was they would find a way out together. As the minutes slowly ticked by Ferb noticed another person was in the back of the truck too. They hadn’t said anything and barely moved. It was very unnerving.

What felt like hours of driving later the truck stopped with a screech of the brakes and the person finally moved. They hoisted the brothers up, one under each arm, and stepped out of the truck. Light filtered through his blindfold. He could smell cold water mixed perfectly with the sound of screaming seagulls. It would have been comforting under different circumstances. “Ah good! They look in great condition.” A velvety voice came from in front of them. “Come, I have the cells ready for them.”  _ Cells _ , plural, Ferb noted with a jolt of anxiety. 

“Please just let us go, we can work something out. You don’t have to do this!” Phineas pleaded. A chill ran down Ferb’s spine as the man simply laughed. A cold, slightly unhinged sound. “Oh I don’t have to, but I want to. You see I want to repay your Uncle for his kindness all those years ago and I think he’ll find this quite fitting.” Their captor said.  _ “Repay uncle Perry?”  _ Ferb thought. His uncle was a lazy, lovable, friendly man who wouldn’t hurt anyone, let alone do anything that would warrant  _ kidnapping  _ as revenge. Unless their uncle had kept a very big secret from them for years. That thought made his stomach churn but he figured that if Perry had really kept a secret it was for a good reason. Phineas didn’t seem to follow that thought process though.

“Uncle Perry wouldn’t do anything wrong. I don’t know who you are but you can’t really want to take two kids from their family over some grudge right?” It was clear that Phineas was grasping at straws. Ferb was about to try to help when the captor laughed again. “You are a chatty one. I don’t think I like that much.” The person who was carrying them walked forward. Their footsteps mingled with the man’s. Different plans ran through his head as they were taken into a cold building, the most likely for success was one that needed him to be sat right next to his brother. Sadly when they were finally set down it was too far for them to even wiggle to each other quickly. He briefly considered biting the captor but he knew it wouldn’t help anything.

“Now, you two are very handy with tools and gadgets. I’m sure you have some on you right now and we just can’t have that. If we want the fun to happen tomorrow I can’t have you trying to escape. Your Uncle Peregrine will come to get you after he gets my note.” Ferb blinked under his blind fold. There was definitely something their uncle was keeping from them. He didn’t have time to think about it just then as someone started taking his gadgets and tools away. Each item removed felt like a part of him taken away.

____________________________________________

Phineas was unceremoniously thrown into another room after all of his tools were taken. “Where’s Ferb?” He asked desperately. “Your brother will have his own cozy little room too, don’t worry your little head.” Crooned the man who had taken them. “Please let me stay with him.” Phineas begged. That chilling laugh grated his ears again. Captor, as Phineas had decided to call him, didn’t speak but he did grab Phineas’s face and turn it to the side. His heart leapt into his throat as the man cut a lock of his hair off uncomfortably close to the scalp. “I’ll bring you some food tomorrow.” Was the last thing said before the door slammed shut. Phineas listened as the many locks clicked and shifted into their positions, counting at least ten of them. 

Left alone in the nearly silent room he decided to try and get out of his restraints. The first thing he did was maneuver his hands from behind his back and breathe a sigh of relief from the little comfort it gave him. He was glad that they had built that escape tower. This was just like that, except Ferb wasn’t with him.  _ “No, think positive.”  _ He snapped at himself. “Mom and Dad will have noticed we’re gone by now. Even if we can’t get out someone will come for us.” 

Mildly comforted by that thought he went back to working on his bonds. He couldn’t reach the knot for the ropes on his thighs but with a bit of twisting he was able to untie the ones around his ankles. It was harder than Phineas thought it would be. Not being able to see was hindering doing anything at that point. He pulled off his blindfold but the room was so dimly lit that he barely saw his own outline. “Ok, well that’s better than the complete blindness.” Phineas could just see the knot for the ropes on his wrists so he brought it up to his mouth and used his teeth to tug at the different sections of rope, trying not to cringe at the texture. After a few minutes of trying the ropes loosened enough for Phineas to pull his hands free. As soon as they were he untied his last bonds and stretched out. 

Trying to remember some of Isabella’s emergency training seminars he determined the best thing to do was see if he could get the door open. Captor had slammed to door to the left so that’s the wall he ran his hand along. There wasn’t a door he could feel. Phineas took a second to control his breathing before looking for a door handle but there wasn’t one. “Ok, its got to be there. Maybe I heard the direction wrong.” Every single wall got its own patdown but there wasn’t a door anywhere. “M-maye a vent. There’s got to be a vent.” 

Ever since he had been placed in the room he could hear a faint humming, he reasoned that it had to be from a ventilation system. To test his theory he stood in different parts of the room. He had been hoping for a draft but there wasn’t one anywhere. Defeated, Phineas sat down, pulling the ropes into his lap. Braiding them let out some of his nervous energy while he thought about what was happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be posting one to two chapters a day until the whole story is up. I have it done I just don't want to spam too much.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perry and Doof go to the kidnapper's hideout.

Perry landed on the balcony and let himself in. Doofenshmirtz looked up from the box he was rifling through. “Time to go?” Perry nodded and pointed to the hover car. He jumped in the driver's seat without waiting and tapped his fingers impatiently against the dash. Doof climbed in and barely had enough time to belt himself in before Perry hit the throttle and they launched into the sky. “What’s the plan partner?” He hit a button on the dash. A tablet popped out with the game plan written out next to schematics of the building and detailed descriptions of all the security systems that OWCA knew about. 

“Are OWCA’s files on me this thorough, because that's very violating Perry the Platypus.” Perry huffed. “Ok, ok, I get it. Not the time. We have a mission.” They flew in silence for a little bit. Doofenshmirtz started drumming on any nearby surface. The thudding tugged at Perry’s already very frayed nerves and he smacked at his hands. Doof was clearly uncomfortable, used to filling the silence around his nemesis, and finally Perry huffed and gave him a sideways look. “Is that an ok for me to talk? Because if you don’t want me to I can be quiet. Quiet as a...a plant! Completely silent! No words or finger tapping or anything from ol’ Doof. Nope, not a sound.” He went on like that but Perry couldn’t be mad like he was at the base. Doof wasn’t slowing him down and the familiar prattling somehow kept him from focusing too much on his racing heart. He did end up tuning him out after a while, as per the usual when Doof went on his tangents. Memories of the rogue flashed through his mind. None were pleasant, each one ending with someone getting hurt in some way. His boys were inventive and smart but they were no match for a man like him. They could be hurt or worse. Nothing was stopping that vile man from killing children, he was beastly enough. “Perry the Platypus are you ok?” Doofenshmirtz laid a hand on his shoulder. 

Perry realised that his vision was blurred with tears. He aggressively rubbed them away before nodding. “No you aren’t. It’s okay to be scared for them, I don’t know how I’d react if Vanessa was taken like this.” Perry switched on the autopilot and pushed his head into his hands, his breathing turning ragged. “I’m sorry, am I making it worse? I can stop talking again.” He shook his head. After a long moment of contemplation he looked up at Doof and started signing.  _ The boys could be hurt, Ocellus  _ **_likes_ ** _ hurting people.  _ Perry glared as he spelt out the name.  _ I’m afraid of being too late to get them out. I can’t-  _ His hands got too shaky to continue but Doof seemed to get the idea well enough. 

“You aren’t going to lose them. We are going to work together, foil Ocellus’s plan, and get those kids back no problem. With your skill and my scientific genius we can do anything!” Doofenshmirtz had a wide smile on his face. Though he wasn’t really comforted Perry still returned the smile before switching off the autopilot and focusing on getting to Ocellus’s hideout. An hour and a half of Doof rambling later Perry was parking the hover car behind a hill next to an intimidating building.

The metal of the decor and walls glinted in the sunlight. Sharp spires served as architectural art as well as supports and the whole building looked borderline cartoonishly evil. Perry snorted at the lack of subtlety. Doofenshmirtz was eyeing the building as if it both impressed and insulted him personally. Perry nudged him before sliding down the hill and ducking behind a large rock. He peeked around the rock and took note of several cameras. After checking their trajectory he found a blind spot. It felt too easy. The security system didn’t seem to match the building plans OWCA had on file either. Perry’s instincts were telling him to run but he ignored them to look at the tablet again.

He turned to Doof and motioned for him to stay quiet.  _ New plan. There isn’t a second floor to sneak into. We reach the building and search the perimeter for another way in. Follow my lead.  _ He signaled to move and crept towards the doors. His eyes flicked between the ground and the cameras, sure that something bad was about to happen. Something caught Perry’s attention. He threw up his arm, catching Doof in the torso, and pointed down at the tripwire. “Good eye, Perry the Platypus. He sets traps too. Completely amateur though, I mean you didn’t even fall for it.” Signaling to be quiet Perry stepped over the wire. 

They had made it ten feet from the building when Doofenshmirtz grabbed the back of Perry’s shirt and pulled him back. He took a closer look at the sandy earth and saw the freshly turned spot that Doof had stopped him from stepping on. After signing a quick thank you they both jumped over the trap. Three traps later and Perry had his back pushed up against the wall as Doofenshmirtz patted fire off of his sleeve.  _ I’m sorry about missing that one.  _ Perry signed with an apologetic face. Doof just shrugged. “I catch on fire all the time, usually because of you. This is just weird because I’m on your side this time.” He flattened against the wall with Perry. 

They slunk around the building keeping a close eye on the walls. There weren’t any obvious doors or vents on the first pass. Perry felt a rising sense of familiarity. It was reminding him too much of the last face off he had with Ocellus. “That’s weird, everyone needs an escape route if something goes wrong. It’s like he doesn’t understand how to be a bad guy.” Doofenshmirtz mused.  _ Or he understands too well.  _ Perry signed. Before Doof could ask him what he meant Perry dragged him back around the building searching desperately for any other way in. The second pass revealed as much as the first and Perry had to resign himself to the truth. He turned to Doof and pointed at the door.  _ That’s the only way in. It’s a trap but we don’t have a choice, so you have to trust me.  _ His nemesis nodded and they both walked up to the doors. Just like Perry suspected Ocellus had planned for him. The doors slid inwards and they stepped into a central room with several doors leading off to the sides.

Perry felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck. Standing at the other end of the room was a tall muscular man dressed in a sleek black suit. His wide smile showed off sharp canines that matched the deadly gleam in his eyes. “Ah Peregrin! You did show up, very good! I see you brought a friend to play as well. That’s unexpected of you.” Perry chattered angrily at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if anything seems off! I use criticism to help my writing get better and I appreciate any constructive criticism I get!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for a chat with an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!! This chapter has psychological manipulation and mild violence, please be careful reading and as always let me know if something seems off!

Ocellus’s laugh was just as chilling as he remembered it to be. “It’s been a while hasn’t it? I can’t say that I missed your conversation skills. Your young nephew was much more chatty, I didn’t like him much.” He stepped forward confidently as the doors slammed shut. “Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, a pleasure to meet a fellow ocelot.” Doof blanched. “Oh didn’t you know? When I was OWCA’s  _ pawn  _ my handle was Ocellus the Ocelot. I must admit the title doesn’t seem to fit you well.” He purred. 

“I...I’m a good ocelot, I was raised by them!” Doof clenched his fists. Perry held a hand up as a warning. “Oh I know that. I’ve been watching Peregrin’s life for some time now, meaning I know quite a bit about you. I must admit that your backstories are quite interesting. I’d think you would know manipulation when you saw it but some fools never learn.” Perry and Doof both blinked. He was up to something, Perry could see the gears moving in his head, but he didn’t know exactly what he was trying to do. His pulse had quickened as Ocellus continued walking forward slowly. He flicked his eyes around trying to look for any secondary escape, calculating how fast they could get to one of the corridors.

“Peregrin is very good at making you do anything isn’t he? I mean to say, he ruins your plans day after day and then drags you along to help him like a puppet. Would he do the same for you?” Perry turned to look at his nemesis. The uncertain look on his face left Perry very uneasy.  _ Yes, I would.  _ He signed with a meaningful look. If Vanessa had been taken Perry would help in a heartbeat. Doof nodded. “Perry the Platypus does foil my plans, it’s his job, but he’s helped me before. Maybe not with evil but he has helped me a lot.” Ocellus’s smile didn’t falter, “ _ Of course  _ he has. He’s such a nice man isn’t he?” Sarcasm dripped from his words. Perry struggled to keep his temper in check. 

_ Stop messing with him! Where are my boys?  _ He took his own step forward. Ocellus feigned a polite frown. His eyebrows turning up as if he were upset by something. “I’m sorry, I can’t seem to hear you. You’ll have to speak up a touch. Bad acoustics in this room you know.” Perry’s shoulders tensed and he glared daggers at the suave man in front of him. Doof sensed his rising anger and put his hand in front of him.  _ Enough games. Where. Are. My. Boys?  _ Ocellus laughed again.

“Oh they’re around here somewhere. With all the rooms I can forget where stuff is I’m afraid. I wonder if they are still expecting food? The kitchen can be hard to find at times.” Perry snarled. Without thinking he lunged at Ocellus, ready to tear him apart, but Doofenshmirtz grabbed him around the torso and struggled to hold him in place. “You didn’t feed them?!” He shouted in Perry’s stead. “There’s evil and then there’s whatever you are!” Ocellus bowed to them.

“You flatter me Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Although I’m sure they are fine. After all, two days without food won’t do any real damage. The isolation however,” Ocellus trailed off as Perry processed what he said.  _ You separated them?!  _ “Oh dear was that something I shouldn’t do? I had other things on my mind you see.” Perry clawed at Doof’s hands angrily. He had to get to the boys.  _ Where are they?  _ Ocellus ignored the question. “I needed your attention and doesn’t this seem just so fitting Peregrin? Taking your family away too? You should have seen their faces when I threw them in their cells. If I had known Dr. Doofenshmirtz would follow you I would have brought his daughter to the party as well. Oh well, no time to think on that now.” Doof’s grip tightened and Perry wheezed. His ribs hurt from being crushed but he was more focused on Ocellus. “You remember that fight we had all those years ago, the one that you cheated in?” Perry’s hands moved sharply.  _ You were being crazy! People were in danger! _

Doofenshmirtz dropped Perry in surprise. He barely caught his footing. “Perry the Platypus...cheated in a fight?” The sharp smile grew wider. “Peregrin did indeed and it cost me everything I cared about. I’m simply returning the favor but I just might let the children go.” Ocellus had stopped just in front of Perry. He leaned down so his face was only inches away. Perry shook with rage as Ocellus placed a hand under his chin and tutted. “All I want is a rematch. A little dual between  _ old friends _ for a couple of little welps. What say you Peregrin?” Perry jerked away and punched Ocellus in the face. 

He stumbled back, laughing like a madman. “Excellent!” He shouted as he pulled a dagger from it’s hidden sheath. “You can even have help from your lovely puppet over there.” Doof moved into a fighting stance. “I’m not his puppet, I’m his NEMESIS!” Ocellus just laughed again before jumping forward and taking a stab at Perry. He dodged the attack easily. A well placed kick sent Ocellus stumbling again but he regained his balance quickly. Doofenshmirtz got in behind him and pulled out a handheld inator. Ocellus threw back his elbow into Doof’s gut and he dropped the ray gun. A well placed heel busted it. 

The ray shot out a laser that hit one of Perry’s feet and encased it in a block of thick ice. He tugged fruitlessly at it as Ocellus took the opening. The knife cut through his lower arm and he hissed in pain. Perry braced himself as the crazed man swung again. Doof lunged to grab the knife and threw it across the room. He then punched Ocellus, sending him flying a few feet. “What a strong punch!” He wheezed out. Perry broke the ice encasing his foot and took stance next to Doof. “Titanium arms!” Doofenshmirtz banged on one of them to add to the point. 

Ocellus started laughing maniacally. “So you have metal prosthetics, but does Peregrin have such luck?” Perry breathed in sharply. His heart had leapt into his throat as his mind caught up to what Ocellus had really been planning with the duel. “I see you’ve figured it out.” He purred with a silky smile. “What do you mean?” Doof squinted. Ocellus’s smile turned cruel before pointing at Perry. “Ask the dead man.” Doof spun to look at him. Perry just stared at the cut on his arm. 

“Perry the Platypus what does he mean? You aren’t dead, you are standing right here.” He slowly lifted his gaze to meet Doof’s eyes. Carefully he signed,  _ Poison. The knife had poison on it. _ He was shaking again. Of course it was poisoned, why had he been so stupid? He wanted revenge and letting the boys go wouldn’t fit that. Perry cursed himself. Ocellus had played him perfectly. “That poison will start working in less than an hour and it’s fatal in less than three. Payback for sedating me so I wouldn’t fight back. As an added pleasure you can’t leave this building. I’ve made every precaution, only I can get out, and even if you manage to escape you will be forced to leave your family and their memories of you will be wiped. You’ll either die here or be secluded out there, either way I get exactly what I want. I’d love to see those welp’s faces when you can’t make it out in time.” 

The roaring in his ears drowned everything else out. Perry lunged at Ocellus, tackling him to the ground and pinning him. He grabbed the collar of his suit to pull his face closer to his own. “I bet they’ll cry. The chatty one at least, the quiet one seems as smart as a rock. He might not understand what happened.” Ocellus jabbed. Perry slammed his head down into the floor. The crazy laughter echoed in his mind.

Doof grabbed Perry under the arms and yanked him backwards off of Ocellus. “Perry the Platypus you are better than this! He isn’t worth it and if you beat him up we’ll lose time for looking for your nephews!” Perry didn’t want to listen to reason, he wriggled violently against Doof’s hold and kicked out towards Ocellus. “Do you want to lose the boys?!” Doofenshmirtz shouted. Immediately Perry stopped moving. Ocellus struggled to his feet and ran to the door. It opened just enough for him to get through before slamming shut again. The two of them stared for a moment, dread settling in Perry’s chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm always happy to receive constructive criticism and of course I love hearing what you think so please leave a comment if you want to!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time is short ad they need to get the boys and get out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if anything seems off!

Doof set him down and Perry shook his head to clear it. He didn’t have time to be angry at Ocellus, he had to find Phineas and Ferb as soon as possible.  _ Split up, you check the halls on the right and I’ll take the ones on the left. Look for a door with a lot of locks, he wouldn’t want them escaping. Phineas has red hair and Ferb has green hair.  _ Doofenshmirtz practically ran into the first hall. Perry watched for a second before turning to his own hall and speed walking through it. It seemed to take forever checking every door but it was probably closer to a few minutes. Perry broke the locks on several of the doors and always came up empty handed.

When he reached the end of the hall he sprinted back to the main room and sharply turned into the second hall. The first few rooms were all empty but the fifth one he passed had ten different kinds of locks on it. Perry felt his heart skip a beat and he immediately took a closer look. They all seemed to be electronic, though none had a keypad or any kind of spot to put a password into. With shaking hands he put his palm onto one of them. He cursed internally as the screen blinked red. Thinking quickly he took a small toolkit out of his back pocket and pulled out some powder and tape. 

He lightly dusted one of the scanners he hadn’t touched and smiled as Ocellus’s own print showed itself. He placed the tape smoothly over the print and applied light pressure. The lock lit up green and he heard a soft click. Perry peeled the tape off and carefully did the same with the other nine locks, cleaning off the one he had touched to make sure the print scanned right. The door clicked open to a dimly lit room. A small figure was curled in the corner sleeping fitfully. Perry walked over to it on shaking legs. It was Ferb. He lightly laid his hand on Ferb’s back. Ferb jolted awake and tried to scramble away from him before a look of recognition crossed his face.

In a second he was hugging his uncle tightly. Perry cradled him in his arms and rocked him gently. Tears brimmed his eyes. He tried to keep his thoughts away from the fact that he might not see him again. Ferb was trembling. “He separated us.” His voice was fragile. Perry stroked his hair and stood up. There was no time to be angry, he could feel drowsiness setting in. He carried Ferb out of the room and down the hall. When they got back to the central room it was empty so Perry walked the length of the room, looking down the hallways in hopes of seeing his other nephew and Doofenshmirtz. 

In the fourth hall up Doofenshmirtz was rambling to Phineas. He had given an inator to him and Phineas was tinkering with it furiously as if it was the only thing keeping him from losing his mind. As soon as Phineas noticed them he dropped the inator and ran to his uncle crying. Perry picked him up with his bad arm, ignoring the jolts of pain, and held him tightly. The weight of what was happening became too much and he dropped to his knees. The boys clung to him and sobbed into his shoulders. As hard as he tried not to Perry found himself crying as well.

“Ok, as much as I hate interrupting this, because you guys look like you really need it, we have to get out of here. We are kind of short on time and we can’t waste a minute right now.” Doofenshmirtz pushed. Perry nodded. He let go of the boys, though they still clung to him, and tried to open the door. It was shut tight and no amount of shoving would get it to budge.

He asked Doofenshmirtz what inators he had. Doof pulled all of them out and laid them in a line. Perry squinted at them. None of them would be helpful, unless they wanted to switch someone with a chicken or paint a clown face on the door. “I could turn one of my inators into a new version of the disintegrator-inator but it would take me a few hours and I don’t have my tools on me.” Perry chattered to get his attention and handed him the mini tool kit. “Oh I didn’t know you brought this, very smart of you.” Doof paused for a second. “But it will still take too long.” Perry looked down at the boys. He kneeled and signed,  _ Could you help Dr. D? I'll be right here the whole time, I promise.  _ Phineas and Ferb shared and uneasy look before slowly letting go of his pant legs. “Could you hand us the parts we need?” Phineas asked Doofenshmirtz quietly. 

Perry stayed close to them as they got to work. Ten minutes passed by and Doof got a moment to step away. He pulled Perry aside to talk for a moment, making sure the boys were out of earshot but weren’t so far it would stress them out. “Are you ok? It’s been almost an hour.” Perry nodded. In truth he was feeling incredibly tired and his head was starting to ache.  _ I’ll be ok.  _ His hands fumbled a bit. If Doof noticed he didn’t say anything about it. “Do you want me to tell the boys that the hover car is mine? I know they could get their memories wiped and you could get relocated if they really knew and I’m assuming they shouldn’t know about the whole spy thing anyway. I could also tell them that I tracked them but you insisted on coming. The rest of your family already thinks we are just friends so it’s a reasonable cover I think. Unless you think-” Perry grabbed his hands to silence him before signing,  _ Yes, thank you.  _ Doofenshmirtz just nodded and went back to helping Phineas and Ferb. Perry stood right next to them and watched them work.

Minutes ticked by slowly. Perry felt more and more tired and after a short time he had to sit down. Doof kept a close eye on him while talking with Phineas and Ferb about technical stuff. Eventually the inator was ready and Doof quickly disintegrated the entrance. “Come on Uncle Perry.” Phineas tugged at his sleeve Perry weakly tried to stand. His legs buckled and he ended up just laying on the floor. His head was swimming and somehow so dense at the same time. It was like Perry's muscles were made of lead. “Uncle Perry? What’s wrong, are you ok?” Phineas and Ferb were staring at him. Their worried expressions made his stomach twist. Doof locked eyes with him and he nodded slowly. 

“Your uncle got in a fight with the man who kidnapped you and he got cut with a poisoned knife and I think the poison is finally kicking in. We need to go  _ now _ , I’ll carry him.” The boys looked at their uncle with panic. “Uncle Perry why didn’t you tell us?!” Phineas’s voice broke. He didn’t have the energy left to sign any reasurances. Doofenshmirtz picked him up bridal style and quickly lead the boys to the hovercar. There wasn’t enough room for everyone to have their own seat so after waiting for the boys to get into the vehicle Doof placed Perry in their laps and climbed in himself. They clung to Perry’s shirt as if it would keep him from death. Tears fell onto his face from Ferb's crying. 

“I’m setting this to the nearest hospital, it’s twenty or so minutes away so everything will be ok. Everyone can get checked out. It’ll all be fine. Just hold on a little longer Perry.” Doof rambled. Perry was barely able to pay attention. He was trying to keep his eyes open, he didn’t want to lose sight of his nephews, but his eyelids felt like lead. He had to stay awake, he didn't want to lose them again, he  _ couldn’t _ . Their panicked faces were the last thing he saw before consciousness left him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the hospital, emotions are running high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if anything seems off! I always appreciate constructive criticism!

By the time their parents had gotten to the hospital Phineas and Ferb had been questioned by the police and a doctor had tried to get them to eat something. Ferb had pushed the tray away, feeling too nauseous to try and eat something. His brother had only stared blankly at the food. Linda and Laurance practically ran into the room and crushed the boys in a tight hug. Candace wasn’t too far behind. “Are you two ok? I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, are you hurt anywhere?” Linda looked for any physical injuries on Ferb while Laurence did the same for Phineas. 

Ferb wasn’t sure why the awful words came out of his mouth, he just knew instead of saying he was scared he asked: “Is uncle Perry going to die?” Their parents stiffened at the question. Phineas had started breathing faster and Ferb was shaking. He was scared to know the answer. Linda pulled him into another hug, “Oh honey, no. He’s just not feeling ok right now. It’ll be alright.” He hugged her back weakly. Ferb could tell she was trying to convince herself as much as him. “What do you mean? What’s wrong with Uncle Perry?” Candace looked between all of them. Ferb looked at his mother, who had a guilty expression. “I’m sorry dear, we didn’t mean to keep it from you. Perry…” She didn’t seem to be able to finish her sentence. Ferb looked his sister in the eyes and reached out for her hand. She gave it to him nervously. “Uncle Perry was poisoned trying to get us back.” She reacted exactly the way he suspected. Her breath caught and she looked around as if it was some sick joke but Phineas started crying again and she sat down hard on the floor. 

______________________________________

Phineas swallowed another bite of tasteless food. Linda had begged him to eat something and he had finally decided to, if only for something to do. Ferb had already finished his own food and was sitting on his bed with Candace. No one wanted to talk. A doctor walked in and asked for their parents. Phineas felt his heart sink to the basement. This was it, they were going to say Perry had died and Phineas would lose his uncle. The kids watched apprehensively as the doctor spoke to Linda and Laurence in the hall. Phineas watched their shoulders slumped and he tried to prepare himself for the news. 

When they stepped back in the room they had watery smiles. “He’s going to be ok, he’s not in good shape but they say he’s going to pull through.” Laurence said. Phineas blinked. Candace asked the question he wasn’t able to form. “Can we see him?” Linda nodded. “As soon as Phineas finishes eating. They say he hasn’t woken up yet though.” Phineas started shoveling food in his mouth, though not fast enough to hurt him. As soon as he was done he shoved the tray away and jumped to his feet, Ferb and Candace following suit. 

Perry’s appearance made Phineas feel sick. He was pale and sweating. Phineas could just barely see his chest rise and fall unsteadily and IVs were sticking out of him. His arm was bandaged thickly where he had been cut. It almost looked like he was dead. The doctor that was in the room finished writing something down before respectfully leaving the family with Perry. He took an uncertain step towards the bed. Ferb grabbed his hand and together they walked up to Perry’s side. Candace came up behind them and placed her hands on their shoulders. He looked even worse up close, with a pained expression on his face that made Phineas want to squirm. Laurence moved to the other side of the bed and stared at his brother with a haunted look in his eyes. Linda lifted Phineas up to set him on the bed. Phineas moved slowly so he wouldn’t hurt his uncle and laid down on his chest. Ferb was set on Perry’s other side while candace climbed onto the bottom of the bed. Tears slid from his eyes as he listened to Perry’s weakly beating heart.

__________________________________________

The first thing he was aware of was a steady beeping. Then a weight on either side of his chest that made him feel drowsier than he already did. There was another weight pinning down his legs. Slowly he blinked open his eyes. His surroundings were familiar in a way. Perry squinted at the paneled ceiling, realizing that he was in the hospital. His whole body was aching and his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Slowly he tilted his head down to see Phineas and Ferb lying on either side of him with Candace curled up on his legs. In visitor’s chairs on his left Linda and Laurence were leaned on each other, sleeping fitfully. Tears flooded from his eyes at the sight of his whole family together again. 

His ragged breathing woke Phineas and Ferb up. “Uncle Perry!” Phineas shouted as he stretched his arm over Perry’s shoulder to hug him. “We were so scared.” Ferb choked out as he did the same. Their shouting woke Candace who scrambled up to his chest and hugged all three of them. She was sobbing in seconds. The sounds woke up Laurence and Linda who shouted in unison and joined in the hug pile. It was hard for Perry to breathe but he didn’t care at all. Even though his limbs felt like lead he managed to lift them and hug his family back.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perry gets chewed out and lets learn a little about Ocellus shall we?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if anything seems off!

Major Monogram had been silently glaring at him for ten minutes before Carl decided to say something. “Agent P that was incredibly risky.” Perry only nodded. Major Monogram didn’t take that very well. “Agent P, you broke protocol and nearly blew your cover! You’re just lucky that Doofenshmirtz decided to help keep your cover or else we would have to erase your family’s memories and relocate you. I can’t believe you went after a dangerous man on your own-” Perry coughed with a pointed look. “-with someone without  _ formal training _ then!” Monogram corrected angrily. “Without informing us about what you were doing, let your emotions get the better of you, and nearly got yourself killed over something that the police could have handled on their own!” Perry nodded along.  _ I’m sorry.  _ Carl looked nervously over at his boss, clearly expecting the same thing Perry was.

“I’m sorry too. Agent P you are on hiatus until further notice with no pay. You are incredibly lucky this is your first offence.” Monogram crossed his arms over his chest. He was staring Perry down as if he’d object. Perry only gave a weak salute. “Don’t let it happen again.” He led Carl out of the room and Perry collapsed back on the pillows. Despite getting chewed out he felt a great sense of relief at being able to keep his job and family. He was so tired but before he could even think of napping again Doof’s voice drifted in through the open door. 

“Ok, bye Fransis!” He called as he stepped into the room. A bright red balloon floated in his hand. “Hi Perry the Platypus. Did you...did you get fired?” Perry shook his head. “Wow! I was sure Monobrow would fire you for breaking protocol. This is great, I did  _ not  _ want a new nemesis, let me tell you! After that one stand in I can’t imagine how unbearable the other agents would be.” Perry smiled.  _ I’m on hiatus until MM decides I’ve had enough of time out.  _ Doof groaned. “So I’ll have to deal with another agent anyway! Am I being punished too?”  _ Probably.  _ Perry snorted. 

“Oh, I uh brought you a balloon.” He held it out and Perry grabbed it, tying it to the leg of his side table. “They didn’t have any teal ones or I would have brought that one instead. You think they would at least have a blue one but  _ no  _ the closest I could find was neon green. Neon green isn’t the worst color but it just didn’t seem appropriate.” Perry looked at the bright red balloon and churred. “Well yes, red isn’t much better…”

Doofenshmirtz was watching Perry intently and Perry had a sneaking suspicion about what he really wanted to talk about.  _ Do you want to hear my backstory?  _ Perry asked with a mildly forced grin. Doof nodded, though his expression was a little grim.  _ When I was just out of the academy I actually used to work with a partner sometimes. He was known as the Ocelot. He was a good agent but he did take things too far sometimes, using more force than necessary.  _ “Ocellus? He seemed like such a nice guy.” Doofenshmirtz’s voice dripped with sarcasm and a hint of sharpness.  _ Hush, I don’t interrupt when you tell a backstory.  _ Doof smiled apologetically.

_ After some time he got some close calls with his family. They almost caught him going to his lair a few times and he was warned about the relocation. Ocellus started getting more violent after that. He had a lot of anger problems, he wasn’t stable.  _ Perry shuddered at the memory of when Ocellus had attacked another agent for saying something that he didn’t like.  _ One day his family caught him and he panicked. He took them down to his lair and put it into full shutdown mode. Only he could get in and out but he didn’t leave. His family was terrified. Ocellus kept them there for days until OWCA decided to try sending me in to talk. They hadn’t wanted to scare the family worse by just busting in. _

Doofenshmirtz was leaning off the edge of the chair. Perry took a break to calm his shaking hands. This was the first time he had told anyone about that day. He remembered every detail vividly and it sent chills down his spine.  _ They gave me a syringe with sedatives as a last resort. I tried to get him to calm down, I didn’t want a fight. The funny thing about not being able to verbally speak is that it’s easy for someone to ignore you if they just turn around.  _

A lump had formed in his throat. How did Doof talk about the hard times in his life so often without breaking down? Perry used his wobbly hands to wipe away some tears that had rolled down his cheeks. “If you don’t want to tell me the rest you don’t have to. I know just how hard it is to talk about these kinds of things.” Perry shook his head, he needed to finally tell someone. 

_ It escalated into a fight and he wasn’t holding anything back. His daughter screamed and he got distracted. I took the opportunity. The looks on his family’s faces.  _ Perry closed his eyes tight. He remembered their faces. The complete terror at their husband and father slumping to the ground as if he were dead. He had been praised as a hero by OWCA but he hadn’t felt like one. He opened his eyes to meet Doof’s. Doofenshmirtz didn’t say anything for a moment. “What happened to his family?” Perry shrugged.  _ Moved to a secret location. Their status is safe but that’s all I know. He’ll never be able to see them again.  _

“Ocellus shouldn’t have been an agent. He doesn’t sound like he was suited for it, too unstable. He would have made a good villain though I would think. Or maybe not, he would have gone too far with that too.” Perry snorted.  _ Some agents are picked for their skills and not their mental stability. He wasn’t as bad at first, it started coming out after training. He should have been fired after attacking another agent but he somehow talked his sentence down. Smart and dangerous.  _ Doof nodded. “Will the agency keep an eye out for him now? Going after one of their agents seems like something OWCA won’t take lightly.” 

_ Yes, he’s crossed the line again. I don’t think he’ll be able to talk his way out of his punishment this time when they catch him. They’ll put extra protection around my family until then and I’ll ask them to do the same for Vanessa.  _ “Thank you Perry the Platypus.” Doof looked like he might cry. Perry weakly nodded. Doof suddenly jumped and looked at his watch. “Speaking of Vanessa, I promised to pick her up today and let her know what’s been going on! I hate to run but-” Perry cut him off, churring with a weak smile. “Thank you again! I’ll visit tomorrow!” With that he bolted out the door. Finally left alone Perry let himself fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last chapter to go before we're done! I'm sorry this one was a little short but I had problems writing out this chapter and I rewrote it so many times that I just wanted to get it posted so I could move on. I hope it was good anyway! As always I love receiving creative criticism!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perry gets to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if anything seems off!

“Remember Mr. Fletcher; don’t over exert yourself, drink plenty of fluids, and eat something at each meal. I expect you to be taking care of yourself when you come in for your checkup.” Dr. Martin lectured him for the fifth time that day. Perry nodded as he pulled on his jacket, it felt so good to finally get out of the hospital gown. He had been deemed stable enough to go home after days of his health dropping seemingly at random.  _ Don’t worry, I’ll take care of myself. My family won’t give me a choice anyway.  _ Dr. Martin nodded in approval. “Speaking of, your family is waiting for you.” She led him down the hall, keeping a slow pace so he wouldn’t get tired out too quickly. 

As soon as Phineas and Ferb saw him they ran across the waiting room and nearly bowled him over with a hug. Laurence was quick behind them. “Now boys, you can’t run in a hospital like that.” Phineas apologized as Perry kneeled down to hug them back. He looked them over to make sure they were still uninjured as Laurence spoke with Dr. Martin. Phineas had dark circles under his eyes, Ferb was swaying slightly where he stood, and they both stood closer to each other than they normally would have.  _ Have you two been sleeping?  _ Perry asked. Neither looked him in the eyes. “We’ve been trying.” Ferb mumbled, sounding almost guilty. He ruffled their hair.  _ Let’s take a nap when we get home, ok? _

Laurence finished talking with the doctor. He laid a hand on Perry’s shoulder to get his attention. “Are you ready to go? Linda and Candace have a surprise waiting for you.” Perry tilted his head but Laurence didn’t say anymore. After a final lecture by Dr. Martin Perry stepped out into the warm summer air. Phineas and Ferb were clinging to his pants again and he was trying way too hard to keep from leaning on them. The entire way to the car he scanned the parking lot for any signs of danger but was practically empty besides another family heading in. 

At the car Perry nudged Ferb into the backseat before climbing in beside him and waiting for Phineas to hop in as well. The boys leaned into his sides as if they were afraid he’d disappear at any moment. Laurence waited for them to get settled in before getting into the car himself. The trip home was filled with Laurance’s attempts to keep the atmosphere light but Perry didn’t miss the way his shoulders bunched or the white knuckled grip he had on the steering wheel. His brother was wanting to ask a million questions. Questions that Perry wasn’t sure he was ready to answer. 

Almost thirty minutes later their house finally came into view. Linda and Candace were waiting out front for them. Perry had barely stepped out of the car when they enveloped him in a tight hug. He melted into it. They let him go reluctantly and he took in a deep breath, very grateful that he wouldn’t have to leave his family. “Are you ok?” Linda’s voice was soft.  _ I'm a little tired.  _ Candace took his hand and started leading him to the house. She moved too fast for him at first and he tripped over his feet a little. After slowing down for him she wordlessly walked him into the front room. The smells that greeted Perry made him pause, it was a mix of spice and savory, and if he wasn’t mistaken he could swear there was the soft sounds of water coming to a boil. Linda must have been in the middle of cooking when they got home. 

Perry nearly jumped out of his skin when someone grabbed the back of his shirt but it was only Phineas. Ferb was standing close behind him. He reached down with his free hand and took Phineas’s, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Candace walked them to the den where two beds had been set up in place of the regular furniture, besides the television which had a stack of movies set next to it. The couch, now pushed against a different wall, had his own comforter and pillows laid out on it. He recognised Candace and the boys’ bedding on one of the mattresses and Laurence and Linda’s on the other. Perry took a guess that everyone had wanted to sleep together after what happened. Candace confirmed this suspicion. “No one wanted to be alone. We were going to have a movie night tonight.” 

Perry churred happily, it had been too long since their last one and he could watch everyone without having to sneak through the house. “Can you kids help Mum with dinner? I’m sure Perry wants to change and I need to grab something from upstairs.” Laurence asked firmly. They moved to the kitchen wordlessly. Perry resisted the urge to run after them so they’d still be in sight and let his brother help him to his room. Perry plopped down on his bed. Laurence closed the door as if to make extra sure the kids wouldn’t be able to hear. “How are you really?” Perry shook his head,  _ I feel like I was hit by a car.  _ He wasn’t using an empty comparison, having been run over once before during one of Doof’s schemes.  _ But as long as everyone else is ok so am I.  _ Laurence pursed his lips. 

“You could have _died_.” Perry flinched at his tone. The normally jovial man was almost glaring at him. His eyebrows were knit together and he had his arms crossed over his chest but Laurence’s eyes looked too watery for him to be truly mad.  _ I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted Phineas and Ferb back home.  _ “We wanted them back to, but not if that meant you didn’t come home! It wasn’t your job to watch over them.” His voice cracked. Perry scooted to the side to make room and patted his bed. Laurence practically collapsed onto the edge of it, putting his face into his hands and taking in a shaky breath. “It was my job.” He pulled off his glasses to rub his eyes. “I should have drove them to the shop, this wouldn’t have happened-” Perry stopped him by grabbing his free hand and shaking his head. 

_ It wasn’t your fault, don’t blame yourself for this. I shouldn't have told you guys not to worry when something was obviously wrong. I should have known-  _ He barely stopped himself from telling Laurence the real reason the boys had been taken, nearly blowing his cover. For a second he wished he could speak freely with his family just this once but he quickly redirected his train of thought.  _ Candace told me they weren’t with their friends but I didn’t want to worry anyone worse. This was my own fault.  _ Silence stretched out painfully long as the two brothers struggled to find ways to reassure each other. It was clear that Laurence couldn’t find it in himself to blame Perry, and Perry couldn’t properly explain just why the boys being taken had been because of himself. The realization that Perry couldn't remember the last time they spoke was jarring. He wasn't entirely sure how to speak to his family anymore with all the hours from work. Perry sighed and hung his head, knowing how Monogram would react if he asked for less hours after coming inches from getting fired. 

Laurence laid a hand on his shoulder. With a watery smile he said, “I’m glad that you lot are still here no matter who’s at fault.” Perry pulled him into as tight a hug as he could manage. When they pulled apart Laurence left to give him privacy to change. After putting on a pair of sweats and a tee-shirt Perry shuffled out into the hall where Laurence was waiting with a few extra pillows tucked under his arms. He smiled and followed Laurence down the stairs. The rest of the family were bustling around the kitchen. Candace was stirring a pot while Linda threw in some spices and the boys were grabbing bowls and silverware. “Dinner is almost done, do you want to pick the first movie to watch Perry?” Linda questioned. Perry shook his head and pointed towards Phineas and Ferb. “Alright, you two get first pick.” She directed at them while they set the bowls out on the counter. 

When everyone got a bowl of the soup they all gathered in the den. Phineas and Ferb picked a Space Adventure movie before sitting on the couch with him to watch it. Even after their bowls were empty no one left the room. Perry let everyone else pick movies first. Slowly as the different movies played, one by one, everyone else fell asleep. Perry moved the boys onto the bed with Candace and she moved closer to them in her sleep. It took ages for Linda to drift off. As soon as she did he checked to make sure everyone was sleeping soundly before slipping out of the room to check the doors and windows. Each one that wasn’t already locked he locked and checked. Finally Perry stumbled back to the couch, and although he felt like he had forgotten something he found himself too tired to get up and check again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one was short (and supposed to be the last one) but this was the best way to leave it off for the next chapter, so I'm sorry about that, and of course I had so many ideas and wrote out so much that I couldn't actually fit the last chapter into ONE chapter of decent size so I guess this is going to be a tad longer than I thought. Please give me any constructive criticism that you think of, it helps me grow as a writer!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ocellus isn't about to take this sitting down, but will Perry and his family make it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if anything is off! Injury warning!!

At first he wasn’t sure what woke him up, his nerves were just suddenly on edge. Slowly Perry cracked his eyes open. He looked over at the boys and in the dim light he could see their chests rising and falling slowly. Candace was laying with her arm wrapped around them and Linda and Laurence were sleeping soundly as well. He watched them for a few more moments before closing his eyes to go back to sleep, sure that he was just being paranoid, when a pair of strong arms grabbed him and yanked him painfully to his feet. With his heart beating out of his chest Perry struggled and kicked out. His arms were pinned to his sides. He frantically tried to chur to wake someone but a sharp blade was pushed into his neck and he froze. 

A silky voice hissed into his ear. “This is not how this was supposed to go. You should have died back at my hideout. It was incredibly rude of your friend to save you and force me to change the plan you know. I suppose killing you now would be a fine change in plans though. After all,” His voice dripped with venom. “I’m sure the rest of your family would love to go with you.” Perry’s muscles tensed and his blood ran cold. Fear pumped through his body. He flicked his eyes around the room, trying to find anything that would wake his family up so they could run. His eyes landed on the side table. Perry twisted and slammed a heel into the side of the table. It crashed into the floor and the lamp that had been sitting on it shattered.

Instantly Phineas and Ferb were awake. Moments later Candace blinked the sleep out of her eyes before screaming and fully waking up Linda and Laurance, who both shouted in alarm at the sight of Perry being held by the shrouded figure. Linda lunged for Candace and the boys, dragging them all into the living room away from Ocellus. The looks of horror plastered on their faces made Perry’s heart wrench. His attention was brought back into the room when he realised that Laurence was trying to inch closer. The knife was pushed further into his throat. “Ah ah ah! I wouldn’t get much closer if you want him to stay unharmed.” Laurance stopped moving but there was a look of terror on his face that Perry hadn’t seen in a long time. 

“Why don’t you just put the knife down? I don’t know what you want but- but I’m sure we can get it for you.” Laurence tried to negotiate. “Oh you can’t give me what I want. I want Peregrin’s life.” Ocellus purred. “And after that? Hmmm, the rest of you will have to go too.” Phineas made a garbled attempt at speech in the other room and Perry looked over to see him clinging tightly to Ferb who was staring vacantly at Ocellus. He caught Linda’s eyes and signed fervently for her to run. She looked between Perry and the kids, indecision apparent in her every move. Candace was shaking.  _ RUN!  _ Perry signed again. He hissed in pain as the blade cut into his skin, Ocellus laughed cruelly at his reaction. “Now now, don’t tell them to run. I don’t want to hunt them down right now.” Candace moved so fast Perry’s eyes almost didn’t catch it. Ocelus let go in surprise as her cellphone hit his eye with a thwack.

As soon as his arms were free Perry turned and punched Ocellus in his face, knocking him back. A well placed kick made him drop to the floor right onto the broken lamp. Perry grabbed Laurence and shoved him out of the den. The others had already started running to the front door. Perry was the last one out of the house. He pushed his family towards the Garcia-Shapiro household, swooping Ferb up into his arms as he caught up with him. An angry howling came from the living room. Candace made it to the door first and started hammering on it. Perry made it halfway across the street before Ocellus caught up to him, slashing what Perry assumed to be the knife across his back. A yell made it past his lips. He stumbled but tightened his grip on Ferb and pushed himself harder, not willing to put his nephew further in danger. 

Light flooded the street as Vivian threw the door open. His family bolted inside. Perry threw Ferb into her arms just as Ocellus grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him backwards. He reached up to his neck where the collar of his shirt was strangling him, tripping his way back down the front walk.“Uncle Perry!” Phineas shouted as Ocellus shoved Perry to the ground and pinned him. His head slammed into the pavement and everything turned blurry for a second. Perry was breathing hard, his muscles aching from overuse, trying to push Ocellus off of himself. Ridiculously his only thought was that Dr. Martin was going to kill him. “Get off of him!” He heard Phineas shout from the house. “Phineas, no!” 

Ocellus jolted forward as a flash of red crashed into him. The knife just barely missed stabbing Perry’s face. “You stupid boy!” Ocellus let go of Perry to throw Phineas off. Perry threw a punch but he was so exhausted that it barely made Ocellus move. With a terrifying grin Ocellus managed to get ahold of Phineas and toss him violently to the side. Phineas yelped. “What’s the matter Peregrin, are you tired?” Perry hit him again desperately but to even less effect than before. Satisfied that Perry wouldn’t be able to stop him Ocellus left the man laying on the ground to go after Phineas. “Say goodbye to the whelp Peregrin!” Perry reached weakly at Ocellus, he had to stop him, he couldn’t lose Phineas. Ferb broke from Vivian’s grip with a yell. Perry watched as he ran up behind Ocellus and pinched a nerve in his neck that caused him to crumple like a doll. 

Perry pulled himself clumsily to his feet and stumbled over to the boys. Phineas was curled into the fetal position holding his wrist to his chest. He was hyperventilating. Perry gently touched his shoulder, heart twisting at how Phineas flinched, and gestured for him to stand. A groan sounded behind him and Perry felt a chill run down his spine. He realised that there was a number of people shouting and looked over to see Isabella’s older brother, nicknamed Pinky, holding Linda and Laurence back as Vivian did the same to Candace. Pinky’s glasses had been knocked askew from their struggling. A wave of relief nearly knocked him over. Perry had been hoping that Pinky hadn’t gotten a night mission, hoping that he would be willing to help a fellow agent. 

Phineas had barely gotten into a sitting position when Ferb’s nerve trick wore off of Ocellus completely. Perry twisted to see his fist raised to strike. Adrenaline gave him another burst of energy and he body slammed the unprepared Ocellus back, yelping as his back spasmed and felt even more like it had been caught on fire, jumping out of grabbing range as quickly as his body would allow. He turned back to Ferb,  _ Get P out of here!  _ Ferb helped his brother stand and ran him back to their parents. They grabbed both of them tightly, being careful of Phineas’s arm, and giving Pinky the perfect opportunity to hop into the fight. Ocellus was laughing in a deranged way again. Perry made eye contact with Pinky and a silent understanding passed between them. He took a deep breath before taking a few teetering steps away from Ocellus. He had to force himself to tune out the yelling, knowing that one wrong move would tip off Ocellus to the plan.

It wasn’t hard to act weak and scared. He already was, all Perry had to do was play up his emotions. His legs shook with every step backwards, he was forcing himself to hyperventilate, he flicked his eyes around as if he were looking for somewhere to run. Just as Perry had hoped he fell for the fakeout. Ocellus prowled forward, poised to strike. Pinky managed to sneak behind Ocellus as he became too focused on Perry to take in his surroundings. Ocellus lunged and Pinky followed suit. He looped his arms under Ocellus’s and yanked him back into a headlock, using the momentum and surprise to pull the larger man down. They ended up crashing into a flower bed. Even with Pinky’s violent shakes Ocellus couldn’t manage to thrash his way out of his grip. Perry inched closer.  _ I’m sorry, are you ok Pinky?  _ “I’m fine, just make sure your family is ok!” Pinky barked at him. 

He nodded before stumbling over to the group of people just inside the doorway. Isabella was helping Phineas get his arm into a sling. She was asking him questions about the pain. “The cops are on their way with an ambulance.” She told Perry when he collapsed in the doorway. “And I think Phineas’s wrist is only sprained, not broken. Are you ok though? Your neck…” Perry reached up to his throat, having forgotten the cut.  _ It’s just a surface scratch. I’ll be ok.  _ She handed him a clean rag from her little Fireside Girl issued first aid kit and he pushed it against the cut. Perry felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned sharply to see Candace staring at the gash in his back. Her face was pale and he could tell she was close to a breakdown.

Perry reached up to pull her into a hug. Before this whole nightmare she would have tried to fight against this, claiming he was embarrassing her, but she just curled into his lap and let him rock her back and forth. Phineas was sitting in Linda’s lap as she stroked his hair comfortingly. Ferb sat on Laurence’s lap. He held his hands over Ferb’s ears to block out most of the sounds that were clearly causing Ferb to go into sensory overload. Vivian was holding Isabella tightly as she stared at her son in shock. Pinky was still restraining a wildy thrashing Ocellus, his glasses now missing from his face entirely with blood streaming from his nose. Ocellus must have broken it in the midst of his thrashing. He was yelling manically over top of the growing sound of police sirens, threatening Perry and yelling about how his family would find out about him. Thankfully he seemed too angry to be thinking clearly enough to shout anything more revealing than that.

As Perry took in all of this he realised something that made his blood boil. There wasn’t an agent assigned to his house that night, if there had been they would have come to help as soon as the scuffle had started, and he had a suspicion as to why there hadn’t been someone there. He resisted the urge to growl. If Monogram didn’t have a good reason Perry was sure he would finally snap. He made a mental note to schedule a meeting with the Major as soon as possible. Ignoring pay docks and no vacations was one thing, his family almost being murdered was a whole new level that Perry wasn’t about to keep quiet about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this time we actually are almost done I promise! Please let me know what you think down in the comments!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perry needs to talk with Monogram.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if anything is off!

Agents practically leapt out of Perry’s way as he stormed through the cubicles towards Monogram’s office. His phone was clenched tightly in his right hand, the screen nearly cracking from the force of his grip. The message from Monogram flashed on the screen. “Agent P?” One of the agents tried to stop him. He waved them off and kept going. “Wait! Agent P, he’s in a meeting right now!” Perry slammed the door open to Monogram and Pinky having a shouting match. “-waited until the cops showed up!” Monogram finished as Perry shut the door with a snap and strode up to the desk. “Agent P! I told you I wouldn’t see you until you were better, what are you doing disobeying orders again?” 

_My family almost DIED._ Perry signed furiously. _They almost died because no one was set to watch my house. WHY was there no one watching my family?!_ Monogram crossed his arms. “I’m in the middle of another meeting. We can discuss this later when I have your meeting already _scheduled_ .” Perry almost threw his phone at Monograms face. Rage threatened to explode from him at any second. “Actually sir, I’m also interested in why his family wasn’t protected, seeing that our protocols clearly state that at least one agent should have been stationed to the house.” Pinky snapped out. Monogram turned his anger onto him instead. It was then that Perry noticed Carl seated in the corner with a similarly angry face. The look was forien on the normally friendly intern. As Monogram and Pinky got into another shouting match over whether Pinky had a reason to know anything in the case Carl signed a message to Perry. _I wanted to set an agent on your house but he told me no._

The shouting grew so loud Perry’s ears seemed to stop working, his mind went fuzzy and all he could see was Monogram’s screaming face. He shoved his phone into his pocket before slamming his hands down violently on the desk, effectively stopping the argument. Monogram stared at him dumbfounded. Pinky huffed and sat down, though not before signing a quick apology to Perry. _This case is all over the news, almost nothing about it is confidential at this point, so I don’t care if Pinky is here. Just tell me why you let my family almost get killed._ No one moved for a solid minute as Monogram tried to stare Perry down. Perry leaned forward and squinted his eyes. A twinge went through his back but he barely moved to relieve the pain. Their shared look held all the fury and determination of a fight to the death. Finally Monogram pulled his eyes away. “Sit down.” Perry did as instructed. 

“Look, I’m sorry about what happened but due to budget cuts we couldn’t set an agent on your house yet. You understand that I can’t control that, right? Besides that, Ocellus wouldn't have made it in if all the windows had been locked properly.” His tone made it clear that Perry was supposed to just take that explanation and leave. Perry started shaking. He had forgotten to close his own bedroom window, something he would never forgive himself for, leaving an entry point for the monster to use. “Everything worked out in the end so I don’t really see the problem. Ocellus is in jail and your family is safe.” Pinky lunged forward to start yelling again but Perry threw his arm out to stop him. _Yes sir, I understand. I understand that you didn’t take the money needed from my own salary when you found you didn’t have the budget. I understand that you decided not to follow the protocols despite a crazed and bloodthirsty man planning to go after an innocent civilian family. I understand that after YEARS you still haven’t gotten the budgeting issues fixed because it's the perfect excuse for when things go wrong._ Monogram spluttered angrily. His face turned the color of a tomato. Pinky gaped at him. Perry didn’t slow down, years of pent up anger and frustration bursting out. 

_And I’m sure the other agents will understand as well._ _They probably won't like that their families aren’t important enough to take care of. After all, most of us spend so much time at work to keep them safe, so what’s the point if you won't protect them when it’s a life or death situation?_ It took a few moments for Monogram to find his words again. “Are you threatening to turn my own agents against me?” Perry smiled, though it was cold and empty. _Of course not Sir, I don’t have to tell them anything for them to know. The police reports all say that there was no protection laid on my house, same with the news casters, everyone will know without needing me to say a word._ Pinky burst out laughing, which did nothing to lessen the tension in the room. Despite himself Carl also let out a little chuckle. Monogram turned on him quickly. 

“Do you find this defiance funny Carl?” Carl lost his smile immediately and cast his eyes downward. “And you,” Perry held back a flinch as Monogram turned back to him. “You are coming dangerously close to being fired.” _For what?_ “For refusing to follow orders, threatening a superior officer, and for inciting a rebellion.” Pinky stopped laughing. He crossed his arms over his chest and snorted. “He didn’t threaten you, he told you what would go down when the others realize what happened. That's also not inciting a rebellion. Perry would need to actually encourage people to do that and he made it clear that he isn’t going to.” Perry waited with bated breath as Monogram thought it over. “Fine. I’ll see what I can do to fix the issue, but don’t try that again Agent P or I’ll fire you right then and there. Get out of my office. Both of you.”

He waited until they were both in the parking garage before letting out the breath he had been holding. Pinky shook his head. “That was crazy.” A small smile still tugged at his lips. “I never thought I’d see the day _you_ snapped. Of all the agents, no one thought you would ever do something like that.” Perry chuckled hesitantly. _I’m probably going to regret that, but it did feel good._ He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. _Not that anything will be fixed. I better get back or the boys will start to panic, thank you for helping me._ Pinky patted his shoulder gently, careful not to hit too close to Perry’s cut, and gave him a smile. “If you ever need something just let me know. Just make sure to let yourself rest, don’t be on high alert all the time. Isabella and Mom are going to stop by while I’m at work to make sure you guys are ok so don’t worry too much.”

Perry was barely through the door when everyone swarmed him. “How did it go?” Linda shouted over the clamor. _Well they might pull me in for more questioning but I think it went alright._ He picked Phineas up and walked to the couch, plopping down gently so his back wouldn’t hurt more than it already did. Ferb and Candace climbed on either side of him. Laurance came in with a tea tray and set it on the table before sitting down next to Ferb. Linda sat on the other side of Candace carefully. It made the couch crowded but something about that made Perry’s muscles relax, the knot of anxiety in his chest easing a bit, and he sighed quietly. His family was all there and for the moment that was all he focused on, no care about the future or what would happen to his job or even Ocellus, just the fact that he was surrounded by the people who loved him.


	11. Epilogue

Months after the attack Perry finally felt some semblance of normality return to his life. Phineas and Ferb had started building things again, and though she still tried to bust them Candace let herself join in on the fun more often. Laurance and Linda felt safe enough to go to work alone again. That wasn’t to say everything was back to normal. No, his family wasn’t healed. Linda called home twice a day to make sure the kids were still there, Laurance never let the kids walk anywhere alone if he could drive them somewhere, and none of them could hide the dark circles under their eyes from the nightmares that tore through the entire family. Weekly therapy visits had become the norm. 

Doof called him everyday to make sure everything was still alright, and if Perry was hearing right Doof had even stopped working on his inators in favor of another project that no one knew much about. Doof refused to talk about it but he did say something about it actually helping people. His job wasn't in jeopardy and when he got his strength back Perry was excited to go back to what he loved to do. Perry had cried when the news had told of Ocellus’s punishment. The monster would spend the rest of his life in a high security prison far  _ far  _ away from his family. He hadn’t been able to believe that Ocellus wasn’t able to talk down his sentence, it had felt like a miracle, almost too good to be true. The family had had a small party to celebrate with the Garcia-Shapiros. No, nothing would be quite the same as before. There would be scars and fears but there would also be new chances and bonds formed from the aftermath. Perry knew that as long as his family was there everything would work out somehow. They would keep going, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finally finished this! To be honest there's some stuff I would change, just to iron out the story, but overall I'm proud to have written this whole thing. Thank you for reading my work and encouraging me to keep going, its been one wild and daring ride. Every comment made me smile, and the criticism will help me in my other stories! I hope this was as good as you hoped!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my discord group for encouraging this angst train!


End file.
